grrr MOT testers

[NewBloke]

:roro:

What's a rough (fair) price for a new steering box for a 93 Disco? Just had the beast MOT'd :sadagain: Just after I finally get the IR off my back and am cleaned out on the financial front. :TFG: :TFG:

Looking at a whopping bill for various bits and pieces that the previous MOT tester didn't spot or overlooked :rolleyes: 6 months ago when it had a pre sale MOT done.

So either

a. the garage that did the test today are more thorough / repectable /safe / greedy
b. the garage 6 months ago overlooked things
c. new legislation has come into force :fire:
d. mechanical things and corroded bits etc have got a LOT worse in 6 months and 2000 on road (mostly) miles

Before you ask, only reason I didn't get a fresh ticket 6 months ago when I bought it was because I had to wait for the V5 to come through so I could get a new number plate (to replace the number plate that was in the same condition when the garage MOT'd it 18 months ago) and by the time it had come through it was unfortunately way down near the bottom of my list of jobs that needed sorting out (thanks Gordon Brown :TFG: ).

I bought the Disco of a mate who I trust and bear no malice, he sold it for his dad who lives overseas, hence the need to wait for the new V5

One of the fails today was due to a rear door lock. Presently a bulldog clip is needed to hold the button in the up position. Automatic fail. Fair enough. I knew about it when I bought the Disco, the lock that is, not the auto fail, because the first garage hadn't failed the MOT on it.

Out of fairness I won't mention the name of either garage. Both are local, the first I wouldn't touch with a bargepole, the second came very highly recommended.

:roro:

<tea, giggie, deep breath>
Sorry for the long rant, at least when the work's been done it'll be safer to drive, and I DO like driving the Disco :cowlick:

:mrt:

[swag298]

A recon. steering box should set you back no more than 200quid. Plus the labour of course!
What other "bits and pieces" were there, and how big is "a whopping bill"?
You can only get a new MOT a max. of 2 months before the existing one runs out.
The door lock one is a bit tight. As far as I know, you HAVE to be able to open the door from the inside. I don't think there's anything in the rules to say it has to be a one-handed operation! (Now there's a thing! Would a car fail an MOT if the "child locks" were on? They prevent the door from being opened from the inside.)
No 2 MOT test's are ever the same!

swag

[BiggarBen]

Ask your local VOSA office for a second opinion / interpretations of anything you are not sure about. They're most helpful folks.

Ben

[DiscoveryV8]

If you can do the work a PAS box from Paddocks is £152 inc vat exchange. The job is not to bad if you have a puller and only takes about 3 hours to do.

If it failed due to leaking then the sals are cheaper but it still need to come off to repair it.

The door locks/mechanisim needs to be working as manafactured so if the lock does not stay open it will fail. For some strange reason the child locks are seen to be a functional test and should be able to be released and the door be able to open.

MOT's do seem to be a little subjective. My discovery just failed on a drop link on the rear role bar and the tester pointed out that with that much wear in the ball joint it would have been like it for years. I must say that the knock when taking up the drive has now gone on fitting the new one. That knock has been their since I bought it. So why did it not fail before ??? Not sure said the tester perhaps the chap didn't see it.!!!

Hope all goes well and you'll be back on the road soon,

Cheers

[NewBloke]

Thanks all for the replies.

I'm a real novice when it comes to getting the spanners out and don't have a lot of apare time at the moment so I'm going to grimace and bear it.

A lesson learnt for me though - not to leave the test until the last minute
:fiddle:

On the bright side it'll be nice having the rear lock working properly :banging:

[Skyline]

Hi new bloke.

I Am an "MOT Tester" so ii read the post with a grin. i will correct the posts in order of posting!


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"The door locks/mechanisim needs to be working as manafactured so if the lock does not stay open it will fail. For some strange reason the child locks are seen to be a functional test and should be able to be released and the door be able to open."


The rear doors are tested but are not a reason for failure.The rear door handles and doors do not have to work or open. As long as they stay shut.


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"You can only get a new MOT a max. of 2 months before the existing one runs out."


You can have your vehicle tested at any time, however the certificate can only be postdated by up to 30 days.

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"Looking at a whopping bill for various bits and pieces that the previous MOT tester didn't spot or overlooked 6 months ago when it had a pre sale MOT done."

six months is a long time, Maybe they were ok six months ago?
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"Out of fairness I won't mention the name of either garage. Both are local, the first I wouldn't touch with a bargepole, the second came very highly recommended"

It seems that the first garage know their stuff when it comes to MOT 's ?
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"new legislation has come into force "

It does all the time.
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I am not trying to be smart or anything, just correcting popular misconceptions, get in touch with vosa by all means , Better still ask the tester who conducted your test to show you in "The Book" the reason for failure, in particular that rear door.

Best of luck.

kev.

[Carrera4]

Hey Skyline (best MOT tester I've met),

What about 2001 Mk I daughter (talk the hind legs off a donkey) and 2003 Mk I son (looks like the senisble one)?